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younggirlsreturningfromlongandlatelabortoacheerlesshome,and
shrinkingmoretearfullythanindignantlyfromtheglancesofruffians,
whosedirectcontact,even,couldnotbeavoided;womenofthetown
ofallkindsandofallages—theunequivocalbeautyintheprimeofher
womanhood,puttingoneinmindofthestatueinLucian,withthe
surfaceofParianmarble,andtheinteriorfilledwithfilth—the
loathsomeandutterlylostleperinrags—thewrinkled,bejewelledand
paint-begrimedbeldame,makingalasteffortatyouth—themerechild
ofimmatureform,yet,fromlongassociation,anadeptinthedreadful
coquetriesofhertrade,andburningwitharabidambitiontoberanked
theequalofhereldersinvice;drunkardsinnumerableand
indescribable—someinshredsandpatches,reeling,inarticulate,with
bruisedvisageandlack-lustreeyes—someinwholealthoughfilthy
garments,withaslightlyunsteadyswagger,thicksensuallips,and
hearty-lookingrubicundfaces—othersclothedinmaterialswhichhad
oncebeengood,andwhichevennowwerescrupulouslywellbrushed
—menwhowalkedwithamorethannaturallyfirmandspringystep,
butwhosecountenanceswerefearfullypale,whoseeyeshideously
wildandred,andwhoclutchedwithquiveringfingers,astheystrode
throughthecrowd,ateveryobjectwhichcamewithintheirreach;
besidethese,pie-men,porters,coal-heavers,sweeps;organ-grinders,
monkey-exhibitors,andballadmongers,thosewhovendedwiththose
whosang;raggedartizansandexhaustedlaborersofeverydescription,
andallfullofanoisyandinordinatevivacitywhichjarreddiscordantly
upontheear,andgaveanachingsensationtotheeye.
Asthenightdeepened,sodeepenedtometheinterestofthescene;
fornotonlydidthegeneralcharacterofthecrowdmateriallyalter(its
gentlerfeaturesretiringinthegradualwithdrawalofthemoreorderly
portionofthepeople,anditsharsheronescomingoutintobolder
relief,asthelatehourbroughtfortheveryspeciesofinfamyfromits
den,)buttheraysofthegas-lamps,feebleatfirstintheirstrugglewith
thedyingday,hadnowatlengthgainedascendancy,andthrewover
everythingafitfulandgarishlustre.Allwasdarkyetsplendid—asthat
ebonytowhichhasbeenlikenedthestyleofTertullian.
Thewildeffectsofthelightenchainedmetoanexamination
ofindividualfaces;andalthoughtherapiditywithwhichtheworld
oflightflittedbeforethewindow,preventedmefromcastingmore
thanaglanceuponeachvisage,stillitseemedthat,inmythenpeculiar
mentalstate,Icouldfrequentlyread,eveninthatbriefinterval
